Week of March 16

Purple Curriculum Updates

Pre-Algebra I with MaryAnn:

In Pre-Algebra I with MaryAnn, the students have been working on finding the circumference and area of circles, surface areas of 3D figures, and today they learned about volume. We also celebrated belated Pi Day on Monday by making Pi bracelets/necklaces and eating pie.There will be a unit 9 assessment next Wednesday, along with a notebook check. I will also hand out next week an end of year math assessment practice packet that each student can begin to work on at his/her own leisure in preparation for our end of year assessment the first week of May. My, how time flies!!

Pre-Algebra II with Jared:

In Pre-Algebra II, students tarted the week with a belated Pi Day celebration. We looked at all sorts of circles (from 3" wide circles, to giant hula-hoops), and tried to figure out the value of Pi for ourselves. Students measured the diameter and the circumference, and a few of them got as accurate as 3.142857!  We then ate pie. The following day we reviewed for our belated (snow-delayed) chapter test. And then on Thursday we looked at more ways to solve word problems.

Pre-Algebra III with Emily:

We had a fun first day back from spring break! We celebrated Pi Day with pi carols, fruit pies, a story entitled Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi, and by measuring circle’s circumferences and diameters and dividing them trying to get as close to pi as possible. This was excellent timing for us because we are in the middle of a chapter focusing on Geometry. Students continued the week learning about classifying triangles and quadrilaterals, finding angle measures and areas of polygons as well circumferences and areas of circles. They will have a quiz on sections 8-5 through 8-9 on Tuesday and a chapter test on Thursday of next week.

Algebra I with Molly:

We began the week with a review of the exponential computation we’d learned prior to Spring Break and a celebration of Pi Day (yes, we ate pie!). Students then began to apply their knowledge of exponents to exponential functions. They wrote rules for finding numbers in a geometric sequence, then graphed some exponential functions. We ended the week learning about exponential growth equations. We will complete the chapter early next week and take a test on Wednesday.

Geometry with Holly:
In honor of Pi Day (which occurred over Spring Break) the students celebrated on Monday by presenting their Pi Day review projects and enjoying some pie.  Additionally, since our last two days of school were snowed out, the students reviewed for the Chapter 9 test, which they took on Tuesday.  We began Chapter 10 and the study of Area, and on Wednesday and Thursday discussed how the formulas for the areas of triangles, parallelograms, trapezoids, and kites are derived. 

Language Arts with Jared:

In English we began a new set of novels. Sixth and seventh graders are reading Witness, by Karen Hess, and eighth graders are reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Students continued with their grammar unit on nouns, with sixth graders taking a short quiz this week, and the other classes taking one next week. Then we also started working on a long-term group project of creating a picture book to read to the lower grades. And finally, we started discussing Authors' Tea. (PLEASE NOTE THE CORRECTED DATES) We started exploring plot structure, and analyzing the plot in a number of children's picture books.

World Studies with Emily:

In U.S. History, students finished working in groups to answer questions about The Great Depression and the New Deal, outlining Chapter 26 in our textbook. Using a PowerPoint, I then reviewed the chapter to make sure students had the necessary information written in their notes. Sixth through eighth graders were assigned two readings, which varied depending on whether they were placed in group one, two, or three. One of the readings is a Franklin Delano Roosevelt speech (his first inaugural address and two different fire side chats). The second readings are all sections from Ronald Takaki’s A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America – about either Mexican Americans, Native Americans, or African Americans and their experiences during the 1920s and 30s. Next week students will gather in those three teams to discuss the readings, and outline the main points to then share with the rest of the class.  In World Studies, we received our global landmark games results. Two out of three of our teams placed in the top five teams, which we were all pretty proud of, especially given we had less time to work on the clues because of spring break. Also, we prepared for the NHD regional competition at Radford University by making sure our process papers included the correctly formatted title pages and the annotated bibliographies, making four copies to put in a competition day folder, and practicing common judging questions with each other. 86% of purple roomers chose to compete at regionals and 47% of competing students were recognized at the awards ceremony on Friday! Eleven students qualify (with the possibility of two others) to move on to the Virginia state competition, which is on Saturday, April 18^th just south of Richmond at VSU. We will travel there on Friday and stay in a hotel. More details coming soon. Way to go BNS!

Earth Science with Molly:

This week each grade group visited the NOAA Weather Center. We learned about the important ways the meteorologists and hydrologists there predict the weather and flash floods in the area to keep us safe. We also got a tour of the facility and learned how they use their multiple weather modeling programs to interpret the upcoming weather. We look forward to the weather balloon release on Tuesday, March 24^th 6:45pm at the Weather Center on 1750 Forecast Drive in Blacksburg. Students learned about weather fronts and air masses and read about different kinds of storms. There will be a test on the weather unit on Tuesday, March 31^st.

Spanish A with Rebecca:

The blue roomers spent Monday's class reviewing the vocabulary from Chapter 3B, discussing ways to "maintain one's health" through healthy eating and exercise. On Wednesday, they learned how to create agreement between plural adjectives and the plural nouns they modify. On Friday, they took a vocabulary quiz. Then, they practiced changing sentences featuring a singular subject, verb, and modifiers to a plural subject, verb, and modifiers. They also learned how to conjugate and use the irregular verb "ser" (one of the Spanish verbs for "to be") in sentences. *The test for Chapter 3B will be Friday, 3/27. We will practice and review all grammar concepts and vocabulary on Monday and Wednesday. 

Spanish with Olga:

Spanish B

This week we started the last chapter in our textbook. We have been learning vocabulary to talk about technology. We are also studying the two irregular present tense verbs servir and pedir.

Spanish C

We have been talking about natural disasters. We are learning vocabulary to talk about what happened and when it happened. We revisited the imperfect/preterite distinction, and will continue practicing those forms.

Spanish D/D+

This week we had a cultural unit, in which we have been learning about Puerto Rico: history, culture, language, and its relation to the USA. We also revisited the map of Latin American.

Computer Lab with Holly:

 On Monday of this week the students were given time to complete their weather projects and monument searches.  On Wednesday and Friday, the students took typing tests (which will be a regular activity from now on) began preparing for our next project by learning how to crop pictures for tight text wrapping for insertion in Word documents.  

Life Skills / Sex Ed with Molly:

6^th grade students wrote letters to incoming Purple Room students, telling them what middle school in the Purple Room is like. When we next focus on sex. Ed., we will discuss changing weight, body shape, and strength then eating right and taking care of one’s body. Soon after we will discuss the emotional aspects of changing bodies and steroids, anorexia, and bulimia. 7^th & 8^th grade students we focused on courses they’ll have the option to take in high school and how high school will be different. When we next focus in sex. Ed., we will discuss dating, falling in love, and making decisions about how to handle your romantic and sexual feelings.

Thank you from, The Purple Team

Week of March 2nd

Purple Curriculum Updates

Pre-Algebra I with MaryAnn:

In Pre-Algebra I with MaryAnn, the students have been learning about finding the area and perimeter/circumference of parallelograms, triangles, and most recently circles. I am sending home some practice worksheets over spring break. These worksheets are optional.

Pre-Algebra II with Jared:

In Pre-Algebra II, students learned about the pythagorean theorem, and then learned how to find the square root of numbers on the calculator. They then worked the remained of the week on surface area and volume. As an art activity, they cut out a number of three-dimensional shapes and measured their surface areas and volumes. We were prepared to take our chapter test on Friday, but the delayed opening moved the test until after Spring Break. We will celebrate a delayed Pi Day celebration on the Monday after we return, and I've reminded students to take note of the once-in-a-century-amazing-Pi-Day that occurs during Spring Break, on Saturday 3-14-15 at 9:26.53 in the morning. 

Pre-Algebra III with Emily:

This week we reviewed the Chapter 7 test in detail, discussed the enrichment activity involving slopes of parallel and perpendicular lines, and practiced identifying the congruent parts of congruent polygons and proving that triangles are congruent when three sides are congruent (SSS), a side, an angle and a side are congruent (SAS), or an angle, a side, and an angle (ASA). The class solved word problems by looking for patterns and solving a simpler problem. We did some review practice from Chapter 6 and 7, and took a quiz on the first half of Chapter 8. 

Algebra I with Molly:

This week students continued our adventure into computation with exponents. They learned to multiply and divide numbers with exponential expressions, as well as large numbers in scientific notation. We will continue learning more about exponents when we return from spring break. Due to our two snow days, we missed our last two lessons on exponents, so I gave students a couple of pages to complete over the break.

Geometry with Holly:
We finished the instruction in Chapter 9 this week by discussing Tessellations on Monday. After a quiz over the last half of the chapter on Tuesday, we used Wednesday to review for the chapter test.  Unfortunately, due to the snow days, the chapter test will have to wait until the Tuesday after we return from Spring Break.  The first day back we will celebrate Pi Day by sharing the Pi Day projects the students have been working on (plus sharing pies if the students chose to bring any in), and review for the delayed chapter test. 

Language Arts with Jared:

This week students took their vocabulary tests, and started making their personalized list of spelling words for their next spelling test. Students also wrapped up their novel units with a final essay. Eighth graders wrote their essays on the role of the author, and sixth/seventh graders wrote their essays on the main character's journey. We'll start a new novel after Spring Break and begin discussing Authors' Tea.

World Studies with Emily:

In US history this week, we read some more about the Great Depression and read about President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the New Deal. Students worked in small groups to read text and answer questions about the reading. Classes read a bit about the Dust Bowl as well as about how many minorities were affected during the time. We had planned on reading some of Ronald Takaki’s A Different Mirror about Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and African Americans during the Great Depression, and three different FDR speeches (inaugural address and two “fire side chats”), but we didn’t get to it because of the snow day. Eighth graders watched several sections of Prentice Hall’s American History. For World Studies, students continued researching their assigned teams’ clues, working towards figuring out the teams’ landmarks. Final guess need to be sent to me by the 12 of March. Also, students turned in their final annotated bibliographies and their rough draft process papers for NHD. The district competition is the Friday we return from spring break--March 20^th. We will need to be there at 9am and should be heading back around 1pm. I will send more details as soon as we return from the vacation.

Earth Science with Molly:

This week students learned about water in earth’s atmosphere. They learned about how clouds are formed and the different types of clouds. We made a cloud appear and disappear by changing the air pressure in a flask. Students also began taking notes and drawing diagrams about the different parts of the water cycle. They have completed collecting data on their weather observation project and will turn these posters in the Tuesday after spring break (This was an extension, due to the end of trimester celebration). When we return, students will be taking a field trip to the Blacksburg NOAA Office, then watching a weather balloon release! 

Spanish A with Rebecca:
The students started Chapter 3B this week, which focuses on foods associated with supper. They have been practicing asking each other what foods they prefer and planning what kinds of foods they would serve at a party they hosted. They have also practiced organizing foods into a "Pirámide Nutritiva" by food group. Have a great spring break!

Spanish with Olga:

Spanish B

This week we have been talking about El Museo del Prado, in Spain. We talked about Velázquez and Princesa Margarita, and how they are important in Spanish culture. We ended the week playing Scrabble in Spanish.

Spanish C

We reviewed for a test on chapter 4B, and had the test on Wednesday. We ended the week with a "what's on my head" vocabulary review game in Spanish. The students got a verb review packet. It is due at the end of March, so they can choose to work on it during break or not. 

Spanish D

We revisited the uses of indicative and subjunctive in dependent clauses. We had a second test on the material. We ended the week with a fun day of games in Spanish.

Spanish D+

We have been learning how and when to use the past (imperfecto) subjunctive in dependent clauses.  We had a test on Wednesday. We ended the week by joining the students in Spanish D for a fun day of games in Spanish.

Art with Patti:

Students finished their linear perspective drawings and turned them in on Wednesday. Then we began glazing and more glazing. Finally adding some color to those white clay pieces.

Computer Lab with Holly:

This week the students finished presenting their Restaurant Projects and were given time to work on their Weather Projects for Science or their Monument Search Projects for History.

Life Skills / Sex Ed with Molly:

This week we continued on with our sex ed lessons. 6th grade students read about height growth spurts and how their bodies grow. They watched an interesting animation of how the bone structure of an individual’s hand changes over the first 20 years of life. Next time 6th grade students will write letters to incoming Purple Room students, telling them what middle school in the Purple Room will be like. When we next focus on sex. Ed., we will discuss changing weight, body shape, and strength then eating right and taking care of one’s body. Soon after we will discuss the emotional aspects of changing bodies and steroids, anorexia, and bulimia. This week 7th & 8th grade students read from two different books about being just friends with someone of the opposite sex, crushes, romantic, and sexual feelings. We also discussed hetero and homosexuality. Next time we will focus on courses they’ll have the option to take in high school and how high school will be different. When we next focus in sex. Ed., we will discuss dating, falling in love, and making decisions about how to handle your romantic and sexual feelings.

Thank you from, The Purple Team